Animated display



March 79 1950 J. R. WEHR ANIMATED DISPLAY 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 2,1946 INVENTOR. JUL mv A? MEHR BY March 7, 1950 J. R. wEHR ANIMATEDDISPLAY Filed July 2, 194s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INWTUR. JUL/mv K, 5H@ BY M WPatented Mar. 7, 1950 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in animateddisplays.

More particularly, the invention proposes an animated displayed which ischaracterized by an yillustrated front sheet mounted upon a casing andhaving one or more openings. A back sheet is reciprocally mounted uponthe back of the iront sheet and is associated with drive means by whichit may be reciprocated. One or more illustrated pieces are disposed uponthe front of the front sheet and are connected with the back sheet withone or more arms Which pass through the openings in the front sheet insuch a way as to support lthe illustrated pieces. When 'the back sheetreciprocates the illustrated pieces ywill oscillate through apredetermined path.

It is an object of this invention to reciprocally mount the back sheetupon the back of the front sheet in a certain Way. A block is mounted onthe back of the front sheet and is provided with eyelets through which arod slidably passes which is connected with and supports the back sheet.

It is a further object of this invention to so construct the arms andopenings in the front sheet as to reduce to a minimum frictionalresistance the pivoting of the arms, so that a small sized electricmotor may be used to operate the animated display. It is proposed toconstruct the arms in an exceptionally simple manner.

It is a further object of this invention to mount the means forreciprocating the back sheet within the casing, and to mount all otherportions of the animated display upon the illustrated iront sheet. Withthis construction it is a simple matter to remove the illustrated frontsheet and replace it with a similar illustrated front sheet embodying adifferent display.

Another object of this invention is the construction of Ia device asdescribed which is simple and durable and Which may be manufactured andsold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and theadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a. material part of thisdisclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of an animated display constructed inaccordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary enlarged detailed View of a portion of Fig, 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section-al View taken on the line /iof Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on theline 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal sectional View taken on theline 6 6 of Fig. 4.

The animated display, in accordance with this invention, includes acasing I0 in the form of a box or other form having side walls II and atop wall I2. The top wall I2 is hingedly supported with a hinge I3 sothat it may be raised and lowered like a hinged cover. The side walls IIare formed with vertical grooves It opposed to each other. Anillustrated front sheet I5 is mounted on said casing I0 by having itsside edges slidably engaged in the grooves I4. When the top wall I2 ispivoted open then it is possible to mo-ve the illustrated front sheet I5upwards and out of the casing.

The illustrated front sheet I5 is provided with an illustration I6covering the subject matter of the display. This illustration I6 ispainted or imprinted on the front of the front sheet I5. Theillustration IG has-associated with it one or more illustrated andmoveable pieces I'I, I8, and I 9 :which are disposed to the front faceoi the front sheet I5 and by which the animated display may be givenmotion. A back sheet 2B is reciprocally mounted on the back of the frontsheet I5.

The back sheet 20 is supported by a horizontal rod ZI which is connectedwith the back sheet 20 by having its end portions 22 engaged throughopenings in the back sheet 20. The rod 2I is slidably supported byengagingthrough several eye screws 23 which are mounted upon a block orstrip of wood 2l! attached upon the back face of the front sheet I5.With this construction the back sheet 20 is free to be reciprocatedright and left.

The illustrated front sheet I5 is formed with openings 26, 2'I and 28located directly behind the illustrated pieces I 1, I8 and I9respectively. These openings are substantially of triangular form andhave apexes at the bottom. They have diverging sides. The tops of theseopenings are arcuate. The illustrated piece I 'I is supported by a sheetmaterial arm 30 which has one end portion 3| .attached to the back ofthe illustrated piece I'I by which the illustrated piece is supported.The end portion 3I connects with a section 32 which extends through theopening 25 and which connects With a downwardly extending section 33which in turn passes through an opening 34 in the back sheet 20. Theillustrated piece I8 is supported by a sheet material arm 35. This armhas lan end portion 355 attached to the back of the illustrated pieceI3. The end portion 36 connects with a section 3'! which passes throughthe opening 2i and which connects with a section 38 passing through anopening 39 formed in the back sheet 20. The illustrated piece i9 issupported by a sheet material arm 4B. This arm 4G has an end portion 4|attached 'to the back of the illustrated piece I9. The end portion 4|connects with a section 42 extending through an opening 28 andconnecting with a section 43 Which passes through an opening 44 formedin the back sheet 20.

The section 32 of the arm 30 rests edgevvise in the bottom apex of theopening 26 forming a fulcrum for the arm by which the illustrated piecel? is pivotally supported. The section 3'! of the arm rests edgewise inthe bottom apex of the opening 2'.' forming a fulcrum for the arm 135 bywhich the illustrated piece i8 is pivotally supported, 'I'he section 42of the arm 40 rests edgevvise in the bottom apex of the opening 28 bywhich the arm 43 is fulcruined and the illustrated piece i9 is pivotallysupported. The diverging sides of the openings 2d, 2'! and 28 limitpivoting of the arm sections 32, 3'.' and 42, respectively.

The back sheet 2Q is associated with means by which it may bereoiprocated. This means includes an electric motor mounted Within thecasing IG and provided with a bevel pinion 5I meshing with a bevel gear52 mounted on a shaft 53 rotatively supported in standards 54 mountedwithin the casing HJ. The shaft 53 is provided with adisc 55. Aconnecting rod 55 is pivotally eccentrically connected with the disc 55and connects with the back sheet 26. The back sheet 2) is formed With anopening 5l having several radiating cuts 58 'through Which the headedend 59 of the connecting rod 55 is engaged. Because of this constructionthe headed end 59 of the connecting rod 56 may be pulled out of theopening 5l, whenever desired, to disconnect the back sheet 20 from thereciprocating means, When thus disconnected the front illustrated sheeti5 is free to be removed and replaced.

The operation of the animated display may be understood from thefollowing Rotations from the electric motor 50 will be transmitted tothe disc 55 Which in turn will reciprocate the connecting rod 56 and theback sheet 2d. When the back sheet 28 reciprocates the inner ends of thearms 30, 35 and i0 will be oscillated. Oscillation of these arms willoscillate the illustrated pieces i1, 8 and i9 and give the animateddisplay motion. When desired the connecting rod 5B may bedisconnectedfrom the back sheet 20 and then the top wall I2 may be pivoted upwardsand the illustrated front sheet l5 slid up and removed from the casinglll. It may be replaced with another similar illustrated front sheetWith parts corresponding With back sheet 20 and the means for supportingsaid back sheet 2G. In this way the display of the animated display maybe changed.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modications coming within the scope of the invention asdened in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. An animated display, comprising a casing, an illustrated front sheetvertically mounted on said casing and having an opening, a back sheetreciprocally mounted upon the back of said front sheet, means forreciprocating said back sheet, an illustrated piece disposed upon thefront of said front sheet, and an arm connected with said illustratedpiece and passing through and having a bearing portion in said openingfor supporting said illustrated piece and vhaving an inner end connectedwith said back sheet for 'moving said illustrated piece duringreciprocation of said back sheet, said back sheet being re'ciprocallymounted on said front sheet by means of a rod connected with andsupporting said backsheet, a block mounted on the baci: of said frontsheet, and said rod being slidably connected with said'block.

2. An animated display, comprising a casing, an illustrated front sheetvertically mounted on saidcasing and having an opening, a back sheetreciprocally mounted upon .the back of said front sheet, means forreciprocating said baci; sheet, an illustrated piece disposed upon thefront of said iront sheet, and an arm connected with said illustratedpiece and passina through and having a bearing portion in said openingfor supporting said illustrated piece and having an inner end connectedwith said back sheet for moving said illustrated piece duringrecprocation of said back sheet, said back sheet being reciprocallymounted on said front sheet by means of a rod connected with andsupporting said back sheet, a block mounted on baci; of said frontsheet, and said rod being slidably connected with said block by engagingthrough eyelets mounted on said block.

3, In a device of the class described having a vertically mounted frontsheet and an illustrated piece disposed upon the front of said frontsheet and Ysupported with an arm passing through an opening in saidfront sheet, means for moving said arm for moving said illustratedpiece, comprising a back sheet to the back of said front sheet and in aplane parallel to the plane of said front sheet and provided with anopening into and through which said arm engages in order to move saidarm when said back sheet is moved in a plane parallel to said frontsheet, and a strip mounted on the back of said front sheet, said backsheet being slidably connected with said strip to slide in a planeparallel to said front sheet for-supporting said backv sheet to move1ongitudinally back and forth in its plane in order that said back'sheet may be reciprocated for moving said arm.

4. In an animated display, an illustrated front sheet having an openingof substantially triangular form positioned with an apex at the bottombetween diverging sides,lan illustrated piece disposed to the front ofsaid front sheet, and a sheet material arm having an end portionattached to said illustrated piece and a section extending through saidopening at right angles in the plane of said front sheet and restingedgewise in said bottom apex forming a fulcrum for said sheet materialarm by which said illustrated piece is pivotally supported within saidopening.

5. In an animated display, an illustrated front 2,500,106 5 sheet havingan opening of substantially trian- REFERENCES CITED gular form poltlongdWtth an apex at the pot' The following references are of record in the'tom between dlverging sides, an illustrated piece me of this patent,disposed to the front of said front sheet, and a sheet material armhaving an end portion at- UNITED STATES PATENTS Cil tached to saidillustrated piece and a section ex- Number Name Date tending throughsaid opening at right angles to 1,557 125 Wiehn Oct 13l 1925 the planeof said front sheet and resting edge- 2 053351 Stengel. Sept. 8, 1936Wise in Said bottom apex forming a fulcrum for 2 1921763 Wehr Man 5)1940 said sheet material arm by which said illustrated l0 piece ispvotally supported within said opening, and the diverging sides of saidopening limiting pivoting of said sheet material arm.

JULIAN R. WEI-1R.

